The Portland daily press., 1887-01-31
MISS WEST.
The Accomplished Young hostess of
the British Legation.

"Ruhamahn In st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The eldest Miss West presides charmingly
over the legation and is an accomplished
housekeeper as well as hostess. During her
first years in Washington, while new to her
responsibilities and new to the country, she
was victimized in the most thorough manner
by servants and tradespeople. The other dip
lomats, who all know that Washington is
one of the most expensive capitals to main
tain legation establishment in handsome
stye, could even then hardly understand why
Mr.. West and his daughter were complaining
of being ruined by the cost of things in
Washington. At last some one ventured to
say that their trusted major domo, right
hand man for years, was neglecting or cheat
ing His peculations amounted to thous-
ands, but he was off and out of the way be-
fore it was proved. The young mistress of
the house then took charge, and by personal
supervision learned how fine an art, and how
complex thing 1t Is to keep house in this
country, compared to the systematic and
long established way Of things in Europe.
Miss West is an accomplished needlewom-
an, and has lately finished embroidering in
crewels pair OF portieres copied from some
curtains three centuries old, that hang in one
of the castles of her fathers family, the Del
awares. Mr.. West has inherited many
treasures from his grandmother, the Duchess
of Dorset. a great beauty of the last century.
An exquisite fan that belonged to this OUCH
ess of Dorset is now Miss Vests, and it is
more beautiful than any in the fan collec-
ton of the South Kensington museum. The
sticks are of pearl, carved and inlaid with
gold, the outer sticks being covered with fl
igree gold and set with large emeralds
pearls and opals. Vatican scenes are paint
ed on the narrow strips of parchment that
top the beautiful sticks, and it is altogether
a remarkably fine fan. Miss West has quite
fancy for these dainty souvenirs Of the
past century, and has collection of antique
rings that delights the young lady friends
who visit her boudoir. Her book of ball and
dinner cards and menu cards is quite for
midable one, and an epitome of the social
life Of the last seven years in Washington.
A thing that rej0ices young men more
than the downfall of the theatre hat is the
| progress of a fashion inaugurated by Miss
West three years ago. Ina society includ-
ing so many young men of slender means,
Miss West thought it unjustifable for girls
to expect and accept costly bouquets from
their partners in the german. To each man
asking her to dance german with him she
frankly said: Il never carry any flowers, so
you must not send me a bouquet. cannot
| accept it. For three winters, and now for
| fourth, Miss West has gone to balls without
bouquet. She is one of the most beautiful
and reigning young belle for the whole
diplomatic corps, and her popularity with
the young attaches, lieutenants and ensigns
is unbounded. Her two younger sisters car
ried bouquets on the nights of the balls with
which their father introduced them to socie-
ty, but never after their debuts. These three
English girls, Miss Matte Mitchell and
few others are now conspicuous at balls and
germans by not being numbered with the
huge, heavy bouquets that other girls carry